Embryonic zeolite-mediated suture synthesis of thin and scalable zeolite membranes for tailored gas separation

Abstract

Zeolite membranes exhibit considerable potential for gas separation; however, two critical challenges (low permeation flux and scaling-up fabrication) continue to hinder their practical implementation. Here, we propose an embryonic zeolite-mediated suture (EZMS) strategy to synthesize large-area zeolite membranes with stable gas separation performance. The membrane thickness is equivalent to that of the initial seed layer—a feature validated across three distinct zeolite frameworks (STT, CHA, and MFI). For high-silica CHA (also known as SSZ-13) zeolite membranes, the EZMS strategy enables a 5-fold thickness reduction, yielding a CO₂ permeance of 1.02 × 10^-6mol·m^-2·s^-1·Pa^-1 (3000 GPU) and a CO₂/CH₄ selectivity of 158 at 0.2 MPa. Scalability is validated by the successful synthesis of SSZ-13 zeolite membrane bundles with an individual area of 0.5 m² (40 cm in length). The membranes exhibited excellent high-pressure resistance (>4 MPa) and long-term stability (>220 d) for humid CO₂/CH₄ separation, representing a high-performance benchmark for biogas upgrading. The reliable synthesis protocol and improved performance highlight the industrial application potential of zeolite membranes.